NextGen ATP Finals: Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca stuns Arthur Fils on opening day

Jeddah: Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca stunned top seed and 2023 runner-up Arthur Fils with a five-set victory in his NextGen ATP Finals opener on Wednesday night. The 18-year-old Fonseca, the youngest player in the eight-man field, made light of his lowly 145 world ranking to defeat his 20th-ranked French opponent 3-4 (9/11), 4-2, 4-1, 1-4, 4-1.

Fils arrived in Jeddah as the title favourite having been runner-up to Hamad Medjedovic in 2023, before winning two tour titles on the ATP Tour this season.

However, Fonseca had defeated Fils at Rio in February for his maiden tour-level win.

Elsewhere in the Blue Group on Wednesday, 122nd-ranked Learner Tien of the United States upset Czech world number 48 Jakub Mensik 4-3 (8/6), 4-3 (7/3), 2-4, 2-4, 4-3 (10/8).

Fonseca will face Tien in his next match on Thursday having defeated the American in the final of the US Open junior final last year.

“It was a good match. I knew it was going to be hard from the first point,” said Fonseca, who secured his first Top 20 win.

“I also knew that the victory that I had against him in Rio would be part of this match. He also knows what I’m capable of... I think in important moments, I played better. I went to the ball and played aggressive like I always play. I think that was the difference today.”

Tien secured his five-set win after saving a match point against Mensik, who clubbed 20 aces in the match.

France’s Luca Van Assche, a semi-finalist in 2023, overcame Shang Juncheng of China 4-3 (7/3), 2-4, 4-1, 4-3 (7/5) in the Red Group.

Shang, ranked at 50 in the world, can still make the semi-finals with American pair Alex Michelsen and Nishesh Basavareddy also in his pool.

World number 41 Michelsen defeated Basavareddy in four sets in his opener. Agencies

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